Anissa Helou is a London-based cookbook author, teacher, and chef specializing in the cuisines of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa. Anissa was born in Beirut, she is the daughter of a Syrian father and a Lebanese mother. Over the years she has published 9 books; her latest book, Feast: Food of the Islamic World, was named one of the most anticipated cookbooks of Spring 2018 by Bon Appetite.

Diana Chan Chieng is known worldwide as an Architecture Expert, both in traditional and contemporary Chinese architecture. Diana hosted the first Chinese contemporary architecture exhibition in Paris and has served as a consultant for various, prestigious institutions in Beijing.

WildChina’s Jewish Expert, Dvir Bargal is a long-time Shanghai resident as well as a celebrated journalist and documentary filmmaker. Dedicating much of his life to rediscovering Shanghai’s Jewish history, his articles and documentaries depict Judaism from the Silk Road to the Middle East.

Gabby Gabriel, is the facilitator of our expert-led workshop: How China is Changing a View Through the Lens of Social Media. Gabby is the founder of Gab China – a company providing Chinese social media services to foreign companies, as well as an expert/activist representing ‘young China’ (as featured in the BBC documentary “Reggie in China”). Students will be taught about the basics of China’s big social media platforms (Weibo, WeChat, Douyin) and how social media centered businesses are changing the landscape of online commerce in China. Students participating will participate in a workshop and lecture about how the China of the future is acutely different from the China of the past.

Georgia Freedman is an American writer and recipe developer. Her culinary and travel insights have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Afar, Martha Stewart Living, and the award-winning food magazine Saveur, where she was previously the Managing Editor. She first became enamored with Yunnan’s diverse minority groups and their unique culinary cultures while traveling the region in 2000 and has returned regularly ever since to continue her exploration of China’s foodways. Freedman is the author of the recently published Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China’s Yunnan Province (Kyle Books, 2018).

With a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and a master’s in Martial Arts from the Beijing University of Physical Education (BUPE), Howard is an expert in Tai Chi. Howard was named one of the “Outstanding Youths of the Century” by Macao TV for his influence in the field of Chinese Martial Arts, known as wushu.

Jade Ma, Shanghai’s Modern Art Expert, has worked with numerous high-profile artists and filmmakers both in China and overseas. Intrigued by the vibrant art scene, Jade relocated from her hometown of Hangzhou to Shanghai where she works as an art curator and Operation Supervisor at a private art museum.

John Pomfret is an award-winning writer and former foreign correspondent and editor at the Washington Post. His new book — The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom, America and China, 1776 to the Present — charts the tumultuous story of the United States and China since the founding of the United States by focusing on the stories of Americans and Chinese who forged those ties.

Lucy Liang joined the Shanghai Museum in the early 2000s, leading Senior Executives and even a former U.S. President through its historic halls filled with over 120,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts.

Neil Schmid is the Scholar-in-Residence at the Dunhuang Academy, and he is one of the world’s leading authorities on medieval Buddhism’s visual culture. He studied Chinese and East Asian Studies at Georgetown University, Waseda University in Tokyo, L’Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, and finally earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Author of the New York Times bestseller 1,000 Places To See Before You Die, Patricia Schultz has over 30 years of experience as a travel journalist. She has written for guides such as Frommer’s and Berlitz and her work has been featured in periodicals including The Wall Street Journal and Travel Weekly, where she is a contributing editor.

Patrick Cranley is a widely published expert on the history and development of Shanghai. Having studied China’s business, politics, and culture for over 30 years, Patrick speaks frequently on his areas of expertise. In recent years he has narrowed his focus to the history, architecture, and urban development of his home since 1997, Shanghai.

An expert in Chinese contemporary art from the 1970s to modern day, Wai Wai is in the know with Beijing’s everchanging art scene. Wai Wai started as a promotion manager for Swire Properties’ upscale shopping venue Tai Koo Li and has continued to work with artists, musicians, and designers for exhibitions and live shows throughout China.

A chef and award-winning author from England, Fuchsia Dunlop became an expert in Sichuanese food after living in Chengdu and becoming the first foreigner to graduate from the prestigious Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. The Cambridge graduate has written for numerous publications and has published a number of books about her specialization in Chinese cuisine. Fuchsia’s latest book ‘The Food of Sichuan’ is out now.

Jeff Fuchs is an explorer, author, and tea expert who was recently voted one of Canada’s ‘Greatest Explorers’ by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Fuchs was the first documented westerner to have travelled the legendary Tea Horse Road, the nomadic Route of Salt ‘Tsa-Lam’, and the ‘Hor-Lam’, the Route of Pashmina through Ladakh.

Mei Zhang is the founder and CEO of WildChina. Under her leadership, WildChina flourished from a small Hutong operation into an award-winning business. Mei’s own expertise has led her to win a number of personal awards, including Travel and Leisure’s A-List of Top Travel Advisors, Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Specialist, and Wendy Perrin’s #WOW List of Travel Experts. Mei is an Aspen Institute China Fellow and currently serves as a member of Harvard Business School’s Alumni Board.

William Lindesay has spent more than 800 days on the Great Wall during his many years in China, completing “the most successful foreign exploration of the Great Wall” according to China’s Xinhua News Agency. The British researcher has conducted extensive surveys on the Beijing portion of the Great Wall and published three books on the subject.

Jeremiah is a writer and historian based in Beijing since 2002. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and taught Late Imperial and Modern Chinese History for over 15 years.

A counselor in Existential Wellness, Michelle Mope Andersson has a Doctorate in Ministry focusing on reconciliation and the arts as well as Master’s Degrees in Counselling, Spirituality and Political Science.

An experienced art professional based in Hong Kong, Ellen Zhuang is currently serving as the manager at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, one of Asia’s leading contemporary art galleries. She possesses a deep understanding of Asia’s cultural landscape and contemporary art.